Former D.C. Special Police Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights Offense for Using Excessive Force and with Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging a former D.C. Special Police Officer with depriving an arrestee of her civil rights under color of law.

The indictment charges former D.C. Special Police Officer Curtis Holloway, 65, with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for willfully using unreasonable force against an arrestee, who is identified in the indictment as A.J. Specifically, the indictment alleges that, without legal justification, Holloway struck A.J. on the head with a firearm, resulting in bodily injury to A.J.

The indictment also charges Holloway with obstruction of justice for false statements he made to responding Metropolitan Police Department officers. Finally, the indictment charges Holloway with assault with a deadly weapon.

The civil rights charge and assault charge each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  The obstruction charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement. 

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: Justice.gov